Make vandals realize what they’ve done

October 12, 2008

I am writing this in regard to the vandalism of headstones in Marshall. I am a college student, and I am in a corrections class. From this class, we have learned ways that are the best for dealing with crimes.

When the police find these people that are destroying these headstones, I think for their punishment they have to go to restorative justice. People in the community need to understand that with this punishment they can all get together and talk to the criminals. They can ask questions why they would do something like this. People can also ask the question of did the criminals ever think about what harm they were doing to the people that have family members in the cemetery. Not only does it have to be the victims, it also can be anyone else. They, too, have feelings about what is going on in the community.

I do not have anyone that is in any cemetery around here, but I have feelings about it, too, because I have grandparents that are in other cemeteries and some day my parents and I will be buried in a cemetery. I would ask those criminals if they know that what they did hurt the community. Each person that goes to the meeting with the criminals should say something to them. The people should tell the criminals how they feel about what they did. This will help them think next time before they might do it again. Maybe they will realize that what they do will affect a lot of people.

Some people might say that they need to pay a fine, go to jail, or do community service. That is a problem though; it does not teach them what they did is wrong. With those punishments, they don't learn their lesson. They do not get the understanding of what they did really hurts other people. With restorative justice, this can teach them what they did and how it affects the community and other people as well.